Daughter was her source of strength, relatives say
Pfafftown woman, 29, dies two years after developing ALS


By Janice Gaston

Keri Brown Still found out about her ALS shortly after her wedding. It spread during her pregnancy with daughter Kellyn.
(Photo Courtesy of Joanie Brown)






Keri Brown Still didn’t live long enough to see her daughter, Kellyn, take her first step. She never heard Kellyn call her “Mama.”

Still, 29, died Sunday morning at her home in Pfafftown, a little more than two years after she developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

Last September, the Winston-Salem Journal wrote about Still’s battle against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The disease attacked her body in 2005, shortly after her wedding to Copeland Still. During her pregnancy with Kellyn, now 10 months old, the disease spread rapidly.

By the time Kellyn was 3 months old, Still’s arms had become too weak to hold her.

But she organized Kellyn’s life, even when she couldn’t move or speak.

“She would tell us when the baby was hungry,” said her mother, Joanie Brown. “She would tell us what to feed the baby. We let her choose what the baby wore.” Copeland Still hooked up a video camera so his wife could watch Kellyn crawl down the hall and splash in her bath.

“She was in charge until the end,” said Gwen Sellers of Greensboro, a friend of Still’s since high school. “Keri was always in charge. Even though we couldn’t understand her very well, she could blink ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

ALS is a fatal neurological disease that leaves intellect intact. It attacks the nerve cells that operate the muscles that control movement, including breathing and swallowing. Still’s ability to move, speak, swallow and breathe had deteriorated steadily since September.

By the end of last week, Still’s breathing had become more labored, despite the use of a breathing device called a BiPAP.

Sunday morning, her mother awoke at her bedside and found her daughter unusually lethargic. She and Still’s father, Harold Brown, could barely rouse her, and her pulse had slowed. Then her breathing stopped. By the time paramedics arrived, Still was dead.

Still’s friend Jennifer Lassiter started a Web site, www.helpkeri.com, not long after Still became ill.

Friends and strangers donated money through the site, and several fundraisers held this fall raised more. The efforts raised more than $15,000. Lassiter said she intends to keep the site open.

“I know she would want us to continue supporting ALS research,” she said.

Still’s family and friends spoke about her fire, her strength and her dedication to her daughter. While she was still able to speak clearly, she made an audio tape for Kellyn - her voice interspersed with many of her favorite songs, everything from country tunes to classical pieces. She asked Sellers to buy 21 birthday cards, one to send to Kellyn each year as she grows up.

Even when Still struggled to breathe, her eyes lit up each time she saw her daughter, Sellers said. “I know that Kellyn really was her peace.”

A memorial service for Still will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday in the new Worship Center at First Presbyterian Church on Cherry Street. A reception in the old fellowship hall will follow the service.

■ Janice Gaston can be reached at 727-7364 or at jgaston@wsjournal.com.

http://www.journalnow.com:80/servlet...=1173354213498

David Bowerman
[ Age 73 ] He showed an early interest in mechanics and spent his life as a Ruxton mechanic and service center owner.

By Frederick N. Rasmussen | Sun reporter
January 15, 2008



David Allender Bowerman, a popular mechanic and longtime owner of Ruxton Service Center, who repaired cars, plowed driveways and assisted stranded motorists for more than 50 years, died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, Jan. 6 at his Lutherville home. He was 73.

Mr. Bowerman was born in Baltimore and raised on Labelle Avenue in Ruxton. He was a 1952 graduate of Towson High School, where he studied auto mechanics.



"From his earliest days, his passion for cars was all-consuming, and when he was a youngster, he dismantled and reassembled his go-cart," said a son, Mark E. Bowerman of Philadelphia.

Mr. Bowerman was 15 years old when he began working for Ernest W. Gill, owner of Gill's Garage on Bellona Avenue in Ruxton - and except for serving in the Army from 1956 to 1957 - worked no where else until his death.

After Mr. Gill's retirement in 1983, Mr. Bowerman purchased the business that through the years sold Esso, Exxon, Chevron, Texaco and Shell oil products.

Tall and lanky, and often wearing a seaman's knit watch cap in the winter months, Mr. Bowerman was a much beloved figure in Ruxton, where residents could always count on him coming to their rescue when their cars wouldn't start, if they had been in an accident, or fixing something as mundane as a flat tire.

"Dave was a real all-American hometown boy and the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet. He always had a big smile and really knew his business," said Steve Myer, who grew up across from the service station, and became a longtime customer.

"He was an excellent and practical mechanic who knew a problem was either fuel-, spark plug- or compression-based. I never brought in a car that he couldn't fix," he said.

"He was a highly resourceful, practical mechanic and a businessman of impeccable integrity. He exuded trustworthiness and cheerfulness," his son said.

In 1977, Michael J. Mozelack began working as a part-time mechanic for Mr. Bowerman, and two years later he was full-time. "He was a wiz at everything and an incredibly honest man. He wasn't one to oversell stuff just to make a profit," Mr. Mozelack said. "He was so dedicated that he never retired. The station was his hobby."

In addition to servicing autos, Mr. Bowerman also held towing licenses from the state and Baltimore County, and was virtually on 24-hour call.

He also operated a snowplowing business, and among his 100 clients were many Ruxton-area doctors, nurses and other rescue personnel, whom he made a priority because he knew they had to get to their hospitals and offices.

"There's a great story about Dave and a snowplow that had engine failure during a big storm. He was able to put a new engine in the truck and get it back on the road within 24 hours," Mr. Mozelack said.

Mr. Bowerman had a soft spot in his heart for high school kids interested in mechanics. He gave them part-time or summer jobs, and was proud when they became professional mechanics.

"Some have stayed with the business, and some of were just passing through," his son said.

"He treated us all as family," Mr. Mozelack said.

Baltimore Magazine recognized Mr. Bowerman's business as "Baltimore's Best Service Station" in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Diagnosed with ALS nearly two years ago, Mr. Bowerman continued coming to the station until his illness robbed him of the ability to work on autos.

He never lost his appreciation for the cars of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s and, for much of his adult life, owned two 1934 Dodges - one a convertible and the other a sedan. The convertible, which had the exact manufacture date as his birthday, was the car he had driven before going into the Army.

"He longed to fully restore it, but that dream was put on perpetual hold, first by his commitment to work, then by his devotion to his family," his son said.

Mr. Bowerman was also an avid student of World War II and enjoyed doing crossword puzzles and listening to the music of Jimmy "the Singing Brakeman" Rodgers and the Carter family.

He was a longtime active parishioner of the Church of the Nativity, 20 E. Ridgely Road, Timonium, where a memorial Mass will be offered at 10 a.m. Feb. 8.

Also surviving are his wife of 49 years, the former Barbara Ann Ashley; another son, David L. Bowerman of Finksburg; two daughters, Deborah Bowerman Smith of Catonsville and Diane B. Wasowicz of Timonium; three brothers, J. Biays Bowerman of Dubuque, Iowa, Daniel Bowerman of Oella and John Bowerman of Frederick; a sister, Theodocia Duffy of Hillsdale, N.J.; and seven grandchildren.


fred.rasmussen@baltsun.com

Dr. Herbert Copeland Jr., 87
January 15, 2008

Dr. Herbert Copeland Jr., a retired Franklin Square Hospital Center radiologist, died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, Jan. 7 at a Naples, Fla., nursing home. The Lutherville resident was 87.

Born in Wheeling, W.Va., he earned a bachelor's degree at West Virginia University and a medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.



In 1951, he became Franklin Square Hospital's radiologist and was president of the institution's medical staff from 1970 to 1972.

In 1960, he founded a private medical practice with Drs. Nathan Hyman and Albert Shackman. In 1985, shortly before Dr. Copeland retired, they introduced an early MRI machine.

Dr. Copeland taught at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He was a past president of Franklin Square's medical foundation and raised research funds. He also assisted in the hospital's move to Baltimore County in 1970.

Family members said he led development of radiology technology training at Essex Community College.

Services were held Wednesday in Pikesville.

Survivors include his wife of 12 years, the former Jeanne Mendelsohn; a son, Dr. Jack A. Copeland of Marfa, Texas; a daughter, Marsha Copeland Manekin of Baltimore; a stepson, Charles Y. Schwartzman of Hallandale, Fla.; three stepdaughters, Bonnie Marshall of Bel Air and Ellen Wilen and Susan Levy, both of Baltimore; two grandsons; and four step-grandchildren. Dr. Copeland outlived two wives, the former Myra Ander and Elaine Rodgers.



[Jacques Kelly

'COURAGEOUS' CHARITY CHAMP SANDY DIES, 60

12:00 - 16 January 2008



A champion charity fundraiser has died aged 60.

Former Ballater Golf Club secretary Sandy Barclay was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2002.

The former submariner devoted the remaining years of his life to raising cash for various causes, also becoming the Aberdeenshire chairman of the Scottish Motor Neuron Disease Association.



His wife of 36 years, Lindsay, said: "We didn't talk about battling the condition because we knew it could not be beaten. But Sandy showed huge courage and determination as he lived with the illness."

He died at Aboyne Hospital last Thursday.

Although born in Ballater, Sandy was brought up in Aberdeen. After leaving Northfield Academy, the 15-year-old joined the Royal Navy, spending a total of 30 years in the service.

Much of that time was as a submariner on a succession of vessels including the Polaris.

When he left the navy 15 years ago the Barclays moved back to Ballater and Sandy became secretary of the town's golf club in 1994.

The couple have daughter Leanne, 36, son Scott, 34, and four-year-old grand-daughter Kerryn. The funeral is at Glenmuick Church on Friday.

Inked in memoriam


By Brooke Bates bbates@dnronline.com



Barbara Helsley used to keep a vase of purple orchids in her house. Now, whenever her 18-year-old daughter Rachel looks over her right shoulder, she'll remember those orchids.

Barbara lost her battle with Lou Gehrig's disease on Dec. 4. Last weekend, Rachel made a trip to Alley Cat Tattoo and Body Piercing Studio to make sure her mother's memory lives on.

The three orchids - one each for herself, her mother and her sister - float above Barbara's name on Rachel's shoulder. Rachel, of Woodstock, says she's already gotten used to the question, "Who's Barbara?" because it gives her a chance to share her mother's story.

Memory tattoos are certainly nothing new. For some, mom's name inside a heart is just another painting on a body-sized canvas. But for more and more people, tattoos serve as a memorial and a meaningful way to cope with loss.

Original memorials
As a tattoo artist at Painted Lady Tattoos, Margaret Lawson-Bushell inks names, dates and crosses all over people's bodies, marking memories of loved ones who've died.

Lawson-Bushell thinks tattoos are a perfect way to pay tribute. "It's a personal reminder and a way to show the world how [you feel]," she says. "Nothing shows love more than a tattoo."

Most of the memory tattoos she inks are religious - even if the client is not. Crosses, angel wings and praying hands are popular requests.

But Lawson-Bushell usually recommends personalizing the art to fit the loved one. "Take something pertinent to someone's personality, like hobbies or imageries specific to that person," she says.

She remembers one client whose father, a miner in West Virginia, passed away. The son's tattoo memorialized his father with an outline of West Virginia framing grain silos and mining tools.

Personalized tattoos give bearers the opportunity to share stories of their loved ones, which Lawson-Bushell illustrates by rolling up her pants leg. She reveals a tattoo she inked herself to remember her mother.

"I didn't want anyone else to do it because it's so personal to me," she said.

On her left shin, a dagger pierces through a heart surrounded by roses, her mother's favorite flower. A banner reads, simply, "mom."

The initials "AMDG" rest underneath it, a reminder of the Latin phrase "Ad maiorem Dei gloriam" (for the greater glory of God) that her mother signed artwork with.

The pierced heart represents how the loss affected Lawson-Bushell's life, she says. "I was incredibly distraught," she says. "[Getting the tattoo] helped me through the healing process. I feel comforted to know that she'll always be with me. It's a way of keeping a little of [her] with [me] at all times."

She also had a set of bagpipes tattooed on her left arm to commemorate her Scottish father. It's filled with the colors of her family plaid.

Helping the healing process
Jen Siegfried, a tattoo artist across town at Alley Cat Tattoo and Body Piercing Studio, thinks tattooing seems more popular now thanks to "Miami Ink" and "Inked" But, as her colleague Chris Porter observes, memory tattoos are certainly nothing new.

Some of the first tattoos ever inked were probably names or initials, Porter says. "Our grandparents used to get tattoos with the names of their wives and children," he said. "It's a traditional American tattoo."

Laura Sobik, Ph.D., a psychologist at JMU Counseling and Student Development Center, doesn't see it as a trend either. When her patients reveal memory tattoos, she sees them as "a sign of some larger collective grieving."

As tattooing in general edges into the forefront, she says, it becomes "a more viable option to grieve in a public way."

Public displays of grief are appropriate responses to public losses, like Sept. 11 or the Iraq war, Sobik says. Lawson-Bushell agrees; most of the tats she's done in the past few years commemorate young soldiers who were killed in Iraq.

Especially in those cases, tattoos help mourners "make collective grief evident and make meaning of it," Sobik says.

The tattoos Sobik sees aren't just signs of grief, but reminders of overcoming that grief. Some of her patients bear tattoos of wings, angels or birds, showing how they've risen from their loss.

Sobik thinks tattoos are, for the most part, a worthy memorial. But she does voice one concern regarding the pain associated with the process.

"It's concerning when it becomes a matter of wanting to feel pain to feel better," she says.

So she urges patients to grieve before they get inked, and not get a tattoo just to get tattooed. "It's a very, very permanent solution to a temporary emotional state," she says. As with any tattoo, you should be sure, she says.

Porter has tattooed clients the same day they lose a loved one. But he agrees - a tattoo should end the healing process, not begin it.

"If you're gonna get a tattoo in remembrance," Porter advises, "it should be after you've dealt with [the loss] and you're clear-headed and rational. Don't do it spur-of-the-moment."

Lawson-Bushell got her tattoos months after her parents died, but she doesn't think everyone needs that much time to mull it over. If people need help coping right away - like families that come in together the day of the funeral - a trip to the tattoo studio could offer it.

Part of the collection
Siegfried has also inked her share of memory tattoos. But real life inside Alley Cat is not like "Miami Ink," she says. "Not everybody has a big background story about why they're getting a tattoo."

Sure, she has tattoos for her parents, who are living, and her grandparents, who have passed. But they're just part of her collection.

"I get tattoos because I like the image," she says. "I don't think of them as memorials. It's something I wanted to do for me."

Similarly, Porter had an eagle head tattooed on his arm several years after his grandfather died. His grandpa bore an eagle tat as well.

"It was so old it was blue-looking," Porter remembers of his grandpa's tattoo. "You could barely make it out."

Porter always wanted an eagle tattoo of his own. So several years after his grandpa died, he went for it. His grandpa's nickname, Goss, is etched underneath the red eagle head.

Showing his tattoo spurs Porter to talk about the weekends he spent with his grandpa as a boy. But, like Siegfried, he says the eagle doesn't stick out from the rest of his body art.

Some, like Siegfried and Porter, were already covered when they received their commemorative tattoos. Others, like Helsley, are first-timers when they get inked in memory.

"A lot of people need a reason to get [their first] tattoo," Lawson-Bushell says. A memory tattoo "can be the catalyst to inspire people."
Helsley waited more than a month before she went to Porter. "It's the only tattoo I'm probably ever going to get," she says. "I don't know why I'd regret it. It's got meaning. It's not just an excuse to get a tattoo."

While getting inked, some clients cry and others laugh and share stories of their loved ones, Lawson-Bushell says. Either way, the emotion often affects the artist as well.

"I almost want to cry while I'm giving the tattoo," she says. "Professionally, I have to distance myself emotionally ... But it tends to touch you [and make you] reflect on your own experience."

The artists agree that memory tattoos, like tattoos in general, aren't for everyone. Or, as Siegfried says, memorials aren't always tattoos and tattoos aren't always memorials.

But if it takes a tattoo to get someone through a hard time, they're happy to help.

"The times have changed. People's ways of expressing grieving have changed," Lawson-Bushell says. "Widows no longer wear black ... If anything, they'll probably get a tattoo."

http://www.rocktownweekly.com/rockto...s.php?AID=2051

Grandview woman had a smile for everyone




Published Saturday, January 19th, 2008

SARA SCHILLING HERALD STAFF WRITER

GRANDVIEW -- Lynn Walker was always smiling.

Her smile was big and people looked for it when they went to the Safeway in Sunnyside where she worked.

It lit up dozens of family photos, enough to fill a large chest in her home and stacks of albums.

Her husband and two kids are treasuring those snapshots now. Walker, 42, died Tuesday after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease.

"Lynn was an awesome person. I never met anybody who didn't like her," said her husband, Rodney. "Everybody talked about her smile."

Lynn Walker was diagnosed with the disease in 2005.

There was a push to get the Walker family on the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. They live in a mobile home in Grandview, and Walker's chair only could fit into a couple of rooms. She dreamed of having a house for the family.

But money was tight because Lynn no longer could work and Rodney had to quit his job to care for her.

An appearance on the ABC show never materialized, but Rodney said he'll keep trying to fulfill Lynn's dream.

The couple met in high school. Their children are James, 15, and Amber, 12.

Lynn worked at Safeway for about 17 years. Customers and co-workers grew to love her for her sweet manner and concern for others, said Julie Moon, manager of the store's floral department.

Moon and Walker worked together for 14 years and often took their breaks at the same time.

"(People should) remember her for how strong she was and how much she loved the people around her and her children," Moon said. "That's one thing she'd always say when I went over to the house -- 'I love you.' "

The Sunnyside store is undergoing some remodeling, and employees recently found an old photo album with pictures of workers. There were shots of Walker from years ago, looking lively and happy, Moon said.

She liked seeing her friend that way. The photos made her smile.

Walker's memorial service is planned at 10 a.m. Monday at Grandview Church of the Nazarene.

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/lo...-9492385c.html

Richardson, Priscilla Elaine
Jan. 28, 1951 - Jan. 19, 2008

Priscilla Elaine Richardson (Parkes), 56, North Port, formerly of Springfield, Ohio, died Jan. 19, 2008.
Visitation will be at 5 p.m. Tuesday, with services to follow at 7 p.m., at Farley Funeral Home, North Port Chapel. Burial will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Venice Memorial Gardens.
Survivors include a daughter, Kristine George and her husband, Dennis, of North Port; sons Rick Hockensmith and his wife, Kate, of North Port and Ted Hockensmith and his wife, Sarah, of North Port; parents Clifford and Lois C. Richardson of North Port; brother Don Richardson of Wadsworth, Ohio; sisters Pamela Craig of Batavia, Ohio, Brenda Bowers of Springfield, Ohio, and Benita Karen Richardson of Covington, Ky.; and three grandchildren.
Born in Covington, Ky., on Jan. 28, 1951, she was a Sarasota County resident for 28 years.
Priscilla worked as a transportation supervisor for the Sarasota County School Board for almost 25 years. She was a Lady Elk and was Protestant.
Memorial donations may be made to Lou Gehrig's Disease Research c/o Muscular Dystrophy Association, P.O. Box 78960 Phoenix, AZ 85062-8960, or to TideWell Hospice and Palliative Care, 5955 Rand Blvd. Sarasota, FL 34238.
To send condolences, visit www.farleyfuneralhome.com.

Published in the Herald Tribune on 1/21/2008.

Jack Wesley Willard


Jack Wesley Willard, 79, of South Charleston, was ushered into Heaven on Sunday, January 20, 2008, at Thomas Memorial Hospital, where he will be eternally with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Among those awaiting his arrival is his loving and devoted wife of 52 years, Joyce. Dad lovingly and devotedly cared for her during her 16-year illness. Others that preceded him in death include his mother, Travania Buckner Willard; father, Joseph H. Willard; brother, Harry Willard; grandparents, Ira and Bessie Willard; mother-in-law, Lila Kate Bays; and his stepmother, Imogene Willard.

Jack was retired from Libby Owens Ford Glass Plant, Lory Planing Mill and Krogers at Riverwalk Mall.

Jack had ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease, but never allowed this to keep him from caring for all his family and the people God placed in his life. He remained positive and watched over the patients in his room at Golden Living Center.

Jack was a member of the Bethel Baptist Church in Spring Hill, where he served on the board of trustees. He was also an avid Jeff Gordon and WVU fan.

Dad will always be cherished for the things he taught his children by his incredible example in the ways he lived his life.

Surviving are daughters, Teresa at home, Karen Keaton, who was his neighbor at South Charleston, and Sharon Buckley of South Charleston; son, Joe and his wife Ginny, who was his daughter-in-love; grandchildren, Tim Willard and his wife Amy, Brian Willard, Steve Buckley and his wife Jennifer, Amy Wehrle, Monica and Mark Keaton; great-grandchildren, Chris, Alex, Mackenzie and Savannah Willard, Courtney and Ashley Buckley, Katelynn Wehrle and Davidson Martin, Alexis and Jamie Breeden; half sister, Dr. Deborah Willard and her husband Wallace Bever of Morgantown; sister-in-law, Marjorie Willard; many nieces and nephews; and his beloved dog Brownie.

The family would like to express unending gratitude to those who showered dad and his family with their prayers, compassion, love and support during this difficult time. Special thanks to the congregation of Bethel Baptist, Green Valley Church of God congregation and Pastor Tom Wise, Pastor David Bowen, Millie McCallister, Tonya Riffle, Linda Talmon of the ALS Association, Kanawha Valley Senior Services, Maxim Health Care and the staff of Golden Living Center.

Services and visitation will be finalized for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Good Shepherd Mortuary, South Charleston, is in charge of arrangements.

SIMS, REX
01-20-2008



Rex Sims, 85, Dies; Cool Whip ScientistRex Sims, Ph.D. research chemist and scientific expert for fats and oils for thirty years at General Foods who orchestrated the development of innovative tests that allowed the key breakthrough in long term emulsion stability that paved the way for the groundbreaking success of Cool Whip died Friday at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. He was 85.The cause was secondary conditions related to ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. An accomplished musician, playing the saxophone, clarinet and flute, Rex played in orchestras and dance bands in the forties and fifties. He joined the Pleasantville Fire Department Band in 1962, and in addition to performing, served as manager, librarian and organizer of Pleasantville Fire Department parades for forty-four years. Rex was recently awarded special recognition for his years of service to the Pleasantville Fire Department Band in a special ceremony sponsored by the Mayor and Board of Trustees of the Village of Pleasantville.

Long, Margaret Unklesbee View/Sign Guest Book


Margaret Unklesbee Long Margaret Unklesbee Long, 93, of Lakeland, Florida, passed away peacefully Wednesday, January 16, 2008, at Broadview Assisted Living in Tallahassee after a brief but devasting bout with Lou Gehrig's Disease. She was born to Jacob and Susan Unklesbee in Freeport, Illinois, on February 8, 1914, and spent her early years in Washington, D.C., where her father was a streetcar motorman for the D.C. Transit Authority and her mother a housewife. She graduated from Eastern High School in Washington, where she lettered in field hockey and basketball, and later attended Washington's Wilson Teacher's College. On November 25, 1937, she married Woodrow W. Long, also of Washington, and moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, where they lived until Woodrow's retirement in 1981 and their subsequent move to Lakeland. She and Woodrow celebrated over 64 years of marriage until his death July 28, 2002. Since her early years, she was a committed Christian, who taught children's Sunday School, sang in the choir, and was active in all of her home churches in Washington, Silver Spring and Lakeland. She volunteered with Cub Scouts, the library, and in hospitals in Silver Spring and Lakeland, and showed her unfailing and genuine love for others through her many phone calls, cards and letters. She was a dear friend to many in Lakeland, Tallahassee and elsewhere, who showered her with love, cards, flowers, prayers and special visits until the last. But most of all, she was a wonderful, caring Christian mother and grandmother with a giving heart, a mischievous sense of humor and a radiant smile that persisted no matter what the circumstances. She is survived by her son, Jeffrey Long (and wife Carole); her grandson, Matt Long, of Nashville, Tenn.; her granddaughter, Christine Hamilton (and husband Troy) of Collegeville, Pa.; her new great-grandson, Owen Matthew Hamilton, also of Collegeville; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Franklin and Mervin Unklesbee, and her sister, Leora Beckstrom. Services will be held at 11 a.m. EST Tuesday, January 22, 2008, at Lakeside Baptist Church, 1736 New Jersey Road, Lakeland, FL 33803. Family will receive friends at the church prior to the services from 10 to 11 a.m. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Lakeland Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens (863-686-2125), 2125 South Bartow Hwy., Lakeland, FL 33801. Contributions in her honor may be made to the Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308.
Published in the Tallahassee Democrat on 1/19/2008.